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Home/Courses/Bagpipe Essentials Masterclass
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Bagpipe Essentials Masterclass

🖨 Printable course pack (PDF)

My complete 31-part masterclass — every essential of great piping, from your first practice chanter session to polished playing, in the order that builds real skill.

31 PARTS · ALL LEVELS · WORK THROUGH THEM IN ORDER
Start with part 01 →
01 Introduction The series covers the whole foundation. Part 1 of 31 · Masterclass → 02 Your Practice Chanter The practice chanter has three parts. Part 2 of 31 · Masterclass → 03 Top Hand Position Start with the ring finger, then the thumb. Part 3 of 31 · Masterclass → 04 Bottom Hand Position Start with the pinky, then the index finger on the second pad. Part 4 of 31 · Masterclass → 05 Bottom Hand Notes The bagpipe scale has nine notes, and the first five live on the bottom hand. Part 5 of 31 · Masterclass → 06 Top Hand Notes The top four notes of the scale run E, F, high G, high A. Part 6 of 31 · Masterclass → 07 Crossing Noises D to E is the trickiest transition on the scale. Part 7 of 31 · Masterclass → 08 High G Gracenotes Gracenotes make up for what the bagpipe can't do: change volume or pause. Part 8 of 31 · Masterclass → 09 D Gracenotes The D gracenote is played with the bottom-hand index finger. Part 9 of 31 · Masterclass → 10 E Gracenotes The E gracenote is the third of the top three common gracenotes. Part 10 of 31 · Masterclass → 11 GDE Gracenotes The GDE gracenote combination is everywhere in piping. Part 11 of 31 · Masterclass → 12 Tachums A tachum is a two-note movement with a D gracenote, and the first note is cut. Part 12 of 31 · Masterclass → 13 Thumb Gracenotes The thumb gracenote, also called the high A gracenote, is used going to or from high G. Part 13 of 31 · Masterclass → 14 Strikes A strike is the mirror image of a gracenote. Part 14 of 31 · Masterclass → 15 Gracenote Strikes A gracenote strike stacks a G gracenote before an ordinary strike. Part 15 of 31 · Masterclass → 16 Doubling Strikes This is the most advanced variety of strike — two gracenotes plus a strike. Part 16 of 31 · Masterclass → 17 Introduction to Doublings Doublings are piping's biggest category of embellishment. Part 17 of 31 · Masterclass → 18 F Doublings The F doubling is two G gracenotes on F. Part 18 of 31 · Masterclass → 19 E Doublings The E doubling is a G gracenote on E followed by an F gracenote on E. Part 19 of 31 · Masterclass → 20 D Doublings The D doubling is one of the least common doublings, because the D throw usually takes its place. Part 20 of 31 · Masterclass → 21 C Doublings The C doubling is a G gracenote on C followed by a D gracenote on C. Part 21 of 31 · Masterclass → 22 B Doublings The B doubling is a G gracenote on B followed by a D gracenote on B. Part 22 of 31 · Masterclass → 23 Low A Doublings The low A doubling is rare, because other embellishments usually take its place. Part 23 of 31 · Masterclass → 24 Low G Doublings The low G doubling is rare in tunes, but easy to pick up once the pattern is familiar. Part 24 of 31 · Masterclass → 25 High G Doublings The high G doubling breaks the standard doubling pattern. Part 25 of 31 · Masterclass → 26 High A Doublings The high A doubling is simple: play high A, then sweep the thumb. Part 26 of 31 · Masterclass → 27 Intro to Bottom Hand Embellishments The four bottom-hand, low-G-based embellishments round out the series' 13 embellishments. Part 27 of 31 · Masterclass → 28 D Throws The D throw is low G, a D gracenote to C, then D — and only the D gracenote is a true gracenote. Part 28 of 31 · Masterclass → 29 Grips A grip is two low G's separated by a tiny D gracenote. Part 29 of 31 · Masterclass → 30 Taorluaths The taorluath is the grip plus one more gracenote. Part 30 of 31 · Masterclass → 31 Birls I teach the "7" birl: touch, slide down, slide up, pull back. Part 31 of 31 · Masterclass →